AP Lang Rhetorical Terms

Allusion

A reference in a written work or spoken text to another text or to some particular body of knowledge to create resonance in the reader

Analogy

A comparison of two seemingly different things; similies and metaphors are types of analogies

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases; anaphora is one way to create parallel sentence structure

Anecdote

a brief narrative offered in text to capture the audiences attention of to support a generalization or claim

Antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas, often in parallel structure. Ex: “place your virtues on a pedestal, put your vices under a rock.”

Appeal

one of three strategies for persuading audiences

Ethos

The appeal of a text to the credibility and/or character of the speaker, writer, or narrator. (relevance)

Logos

The appeal of a text based on the logical structure of its argument or central ideas. Often in the form of data, reasons, definitions, and evidence to support a claim.

Pathos

The appeal of a text to the emotions or interests of the audience

Chiasmus

A figure of speech where the order of terms in the first clause is reversed in the second. Often has A-B-B-A structure. Ex: “Has the church failed mankind, or has mankind failed the church?”

Claim

The point, backed up by support, of an argument. (the terms claim and thesis are synonymous)

Colloquialism

The use of informal words, phrases, or slang in a piece of writing

Concession

The acknowledgement of a point made by one’s opponent; an interference in regard to what am opponent may argue.

Connotation

The implied meaning of a word, in contrast to its “dictionary meaning”

Denotation

the “dictionary” definition of a word

Diction

an authors word choice, especially when purposeful

Euphemism

polite, indirect expressions replacing word/phrases that are considered harsh and impolite or suggest something unpleasant. A less offensive word.

hyperbole

exaggeration for effect

imagery

language that evokes particular sensations or emotionally rich experiences in a reader

inference

a conclusion a reader or listener reaches on their own rather then being told directly by the text

irony

exists when there is a contrast between appearance and reality

dramatic irony

when the reader or another character in a book knows something that another character does not know

situational irony

when the outcome of the situation is the opposite of what is expected

verbal irony

when a person says or writes one thing but means another, or conveys a meaning opposite of a literal meaning. (intended contrast between denotation and connotation)

juxtaposition

the placement of two things side-by-side for emphasis

metaphor

an implied comparison

metonymy

when an entity is reffered to by an attribute or association. Ex: “the oval office”

onomatopoeia

a word capturing the sound it describes, like “buzz” or “hiss”

paradox

a statement that seems untrue on the surface, but is true nevertheless

parallelism

a set of similarly structured words, phrases, or clauses that appears in a sentence or paragraph

persona

the voice or figure or the author who tells and structures the story, and who might not share the values of the actual author

rhetoric

analyzing choices involving language that a writer or speaker make in a situation to give a text deeper meaning, purpose, and to make it more effective.

rhetorical choices

the choices a writer or speaker make to achieve meaning, purpose, and effect

rhetorical question

a question posed by a writer or speaker not for an answer, but to affirm or deny a point by asking a question.

rhetorical triange

a diagram showing the relationship between a writer or speaker, a reader or listening, and the text/ subject in a rhetorical situation

satire

a ironic composition that ridicules an aspect of humanity or society

synecdoche

when the representative thing is apart of the larger thing it is representing. Ex: referring to the American film industry, which is nationwide, as Hollywood

syntax

the order of words in a sentence to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Sentence structure and how it influences how a reader perceives a piece of writing.

tone

the writer or speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter

understatement

a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers intentionally to make a situation seem less important than it really is. Often has ironic, humorous, or sarcastic tone

zeugma

a figure of speech where a word, usually a verb or adjective, applies to more than one noun, blending two ideas. Ex: “I lost my coat and my temper”